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The World Cup has ended, and the domestic campaign is now back on the agenda.
The Premier League season of 18/19 will again be dominated by the big six, namely Man City, United, Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea.
There is a chance that another club could "pull a Leicester". But the odds are in favour of the six richest, and possibly biggest overall, in the Premier League and England.
The first games of the season are on 11th August 2018, and at this point it's only a few weeks away. Clubs are in contact with players, other clubs, and agents, to get the most and best possible players in.
These clubs, along with the best in Europe, are competing for much top talent. And getting the best players is a necessity in winning the League, Champions League, Europa League, or other top trophies. The transfer window ends a few days before the start of the season. However, which top six PL team is doing the best?
Which clubs would take the best advantage of the World Cup, in scouting and recruiting players? Will some clubs lose top talent, due to World Cup wins or defeats?
We shall see, based albeit on incomplete details as the window hasn't ended yet.
In this slideshow, I will assess each club on a variety of factors:
- Suitability
- Rectification of areas/problem positions
- Awe factor
- World class status
- Activity relative to other clubs
- The utilisation of resources at hand
Some clubs may not sign many players, but possibly don't need to. Or they have restrictions in place. Signing players alone cannot be a boon, without acknowledging the environmental factors a club surrounds and involves.
Signing world class players is an evident plus, as it signifies intent to compete. It also energises the fans, and naturally enhances commercial revenues, ticket, and shirt sales.
But signing big is not a guarantee of anything. We've seen numerous top signings that haven't materialised over the years. Sanchez isn't performing yet at Man United, whilst Fernando Torres is a prime instance of a big name flop.
In more recent seasons, Lukaku has succeeded, as has Ederson and Fernadinho. Morata, however, didn't, and neither did Bakayoko.
We've seen players like Shaquiri, Keita, Allison, Torreira, Fred, Jorginho, and others join thus far, so we'll see who else can come in.
No team can "win" the top six transfer window, as it's naturally not a trophy. But then it's pretty much given that all teams need to see what they can do to compete, and acquire the best players they can.
So let's see who is doing the best, or not...
Manchester City
The record-breaking champions have signed Mahrez from Leicester City, which naturally offers more firepower to Guardiola's outfit.
However, they don't need much else, given the size of their squad and the balance they've achieved. Having a settled team can be a mixed blessing since there are few areas of improvement. This naturally was a major part of why they won the league with such ease.
In 16/17, their defence was a worry, but the signing of Ederson and Walker stopped this being an issue in their title-win. There is talk they are monitoring Thiago Silva, but we'll see how this materialises.
And whilst David Silva is entering his thirties, Delph, de Bruyne, Fernandinho, etc. are all still relatively young and have much more to offer. This also includes attacking options, with Sane and Sterling offering threats alongside the recent addition of Mahrez.
Maybe a long-term replacement for Aguero is needed since he's 30 now. However, he still can offer much, and City surely are favourites to win the league and thus retain their title. Whether they can do it at the same rate as before, who knows? However, they are in prime position to win the league again.
Rating: 6/10
Mahrez brings more firepower, and they can progress further with him.
Manchester United
United clearly need to close the gap on their Manchester rivals and heed the advance of their longer time/more traditional rivals in Liverpool.
Sir Alex Ferguson called Man City the "noisy neighbours". United may be a bigger club in history, tradition, or fanbase terms, but that's far from the point. They're a better and more successful team at this moment. And Mourinho knows that a key facet of this window has to be closing the gap on their Mancunian "cousins".
The overall squad is strong, and it may be about getting the best from Pogba and Sanchez, and determining what futures Martial and Shaw hold at the club. Moreover, Rashford needs to have more consistent game time. They have addressed key areas in defence, with the addition of Diogo Dalot and have strengthened in midfield with Fred.
The French World Cup win could boost Pogba's form, and provide extra confidence in the season ahead. He had a great World Cup and scored a great goal in the final. It will be very interesting to see how he does next year. Lee Grant could be a good supplement to de Gea. Perisic could add more to the team if the club succeeds in attaining him. He certainly is a prime player, given Croatia's run in the Russia World Cup lately.
Mourinho has stated that attacking options won't be signed in the summer. So we may expect more midfielders and defenders, even though United's defensive structure and goals against tally in the league was very good in 17/18.
Rating: 5/10
It may be about getting the best from existing talent, as much as acquiring new players.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs have established themselves as a regular top-four force, and have attained their most consistent league finishes in many decades. Since 15/16, they have finished third, second, and then third again.
The new stadium though, whilst required for their future well being and success, could weigh them down somewhat. The ground is currently over budget and over-schedule, though the budgetary points are as much about the value of the pound sterling over any internal bumbling.
However, the ground needs financing, thus meaning some degree of austerity imposed. Moreover, Spurs have a relatively settled and balanced team, which is one reason they have cemented top four. Kane is certainly world class now, and they have Lloris, Alderweireld, and Dembele, as other top international players. Alli is also another player of potential, and the club had many players in the England team that reached the 2018 WC semis, as well as the Belgium side that won third place.
With these points in place, Spurs may not have as active a window as other teams.
Another point is that being the top four is fine. But to push on to winning leagues and titles, they need players of a higher value. Tottenham at this point cannot afford to spend £100m or more on a player, or £350k wages to boot.
It's possible that Alderweirled and Rose may leave, and they could use some of the funds to gain good replacements. However, these replacements would be on high wages and transfer fees, if they want players of exact quality.
In recent windows, Spurs have brought in Sanchez, Moura, Llorente, and Aurier, and this may have to do somewhat. They may not be top quality or world class, but then they all are players of some potential and experience.
But with City, United, and Liverpool making big signings, and a potentially improving Arsenal, it may be harder to sustain top four for now.
Akin to Man United, the experience of Spurs' players in the World Cup could aid them, such as Kane's Golden Boot, Lloris's win, and the semis of Dembele, Alderweireld, Rose, Trippier, and Alli.
Rating: 2/10
The new stadium may be a hindrance, as much as the current team balance could be.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a club on the up, and their owners FSG are clearly intent on recapturing Liverpool's heyday.
The acquisition of Klopp, the expansion of Anfield, and the emergence of Salah have shown that the Reds mean business. The transfer window this year also shows this.
Keita, Shiquiri, Allison, and Fabinho, are all seasoned internationals with top experience and show Liverpool's intent in winning their first league title since 1990.
The sale of Coutinho didn't impact on their attacking prowess, especially as Salah won the Golden Boot and Player of the Year awards.
City may be favourites, but at this point, Liverpool may be amongst the best challengers to them this term.
However, Liverpool's defence has been questioned of late, though the addition of van Dijk last year sought to rectify this. The goalkeeper situation is also telling, given the mistakes that Karius made in the Champions League final. He may be the weak link again, though Liverpool has time to make a top-class addition before the window ends. Allison's acquisition can aid this.
Klopp though may need to win a trophy this season, especially given the length of time at the club, and the increased transfer spend facilitated by the Anfield expansion and consistent Champions League football. Playing pretty football may not be enough, and now is the time to deliver.
Rating: 8.5/10
Liverpool has attained the highest profile players of all the top six, and it could be a first league title since Sir "King" Kenny's tenure.
Chelsea
Losing Kante, Hazard, and Courtois would be major blows, considering their influence and status as world-class players. Getting top replacements may be difficult, considering their cost, and the change in strategy by Abramovich. It seems he's not as willing to splash the cash as he once did. Chelsea would still be a threat, and still hold top players, but Sarri has a season of rebuilding as well possibly working under a historically reduced budget.
There is also talk of Petr Cech returning from Arsenal, which would be a boon considering his status as a Chelsea legend. Nonetheless, he's not the keeper of old, and despite his status as one of the top PL-era keepers (alongside Schmeichel and Seaman), he has made numerous errors in the last season with Arsenal. He may not arrive, if the rumours are true, as a number one keeper, and securing a world-class replacement for Courtois has to be a priority.
With a change in transfer policy, Chelsea may need to promote from their winning academy or get mid-range players to succeed. Spurs have done this, and Arsenal is following suit. Man United have signed Bailly, who was not world class per se. How Chelsea manage in this new paradigm is key in their future seasons and this close season.
Rating: 6/10
Retaining and replacing top players is key for Chelsea.
Arsenal
Even though Arsene Wenger has gone, and now Unai Emery has succeeded him, Arsenal are looking to address key areas in the team.
Sokratis Papastathopolous, Bernd Leno, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Guendouzi, and Lucas Torreira have been the incoming players thus far in the window, and they have all sought to address key defensive and midfield areas.
They may not be the biggest names, but they are all either experienced or have potential. Lichtsteiner and Torreira both did well for their countries (Switzerland and Uruguay) in the recent World Cup.
Bernd Leno is a highly-rated keeper from the Bundesliga, though apparently, he had the worst mistakes record in the division. However, he was close to reaching the Germany World Cup squad, and a bigger stage may help his confidence and profile. Sokratis is a Greek defender from Germany also, and he is of a different mould to Arsenal's current defenders in that he is stronger and more physically rugged. He could add a touch of steel amongst the current options.
There has been talks of a move for Dembele and Dybala, but Arsenal already look strong in attacking options.
The issue for Arsenal this season may be tactical and structural as much as personnel based, given the evident faults from the previous season. As a manager whose speciality is tactical nous and meticulousness, Emery will be judged by how well Arsenal adapt.
Arsenal may also need to sell players, if only as part of a new tactical direction. Welbeck, Joel Campbell, Perez, Elneny, Ospina, Cech, etc. could all be top candidates to go in this new Arsenal model.
The club has looked to reform its squad in a different and new light, and this is in stark contrast to the latter years under Wenger. As is getting in players early. Is this change positive? Who knows? But it does signify a new direction and ethos.
Rating: 7/10
No huge names per se. But areas that require strengthening are being addressed, and which were neglected in the latter Wenger tenure.
So who is winning the window?
At this point, admittedly before the end of the window, it seems Liverpool are "winning" it.
Overall, the club is on the up, both on and off the pitch, and their signings thus far reflect this.
However, making signings is one thing. It's about how well they integrate, and Klopp must know he is under pressure to succeed.
Still, making signings is an important step in success, and Liverpool are ahead at this juncture.
Ratings
1- Liverpool
2- Arsenal
3- Man City
4- Chelsea
5- Manchester United
6- Tottenham
There are mitigating factors of course. Spurs have their new stadium, and City hold a balanced team. So they may not be looking for huge acquisitions. Arsenal's brand is strong, but a lack of Champions League football means they cannot pay the highest fees.
And having a good or bad window is not even key. We've seen in previous seasons that it hasn't worked out. Everton had a good window in 2017 but performed very poorly. Arsenal only signed Cech in 2015 but finished second in the following season.
However, whilst nothing is certain, including success, it's always apt to put oneself in the best shape possible.
And who knows, whilst City are favourites to win the league, Liverpool's spending could help them win their first title since their recently knighted former player, manager, and legend.
At this point also, Liverpool have spent the most, and it's been an active window for the Premier League overall.
